2006 vintage. Rich honey with a hint of orange. A stationary cloud of fine yeast is being buffeted about by a generous amount of carbonation... that settles down within minutes of the pour. I love the look of the beer, but the sticky alabaster crown is a typical bit of Belgian magnificence.

I've been able to appreciate the room filling aroma since beer exited bottle. The nose is incredibly complex and doesn't contain much, if any, farmhouse funkiness. I'm fine with that since I can't drink wild ales every day. As far as aroma specifics... sugar-coated grain, sun-ripened orchard fruit (pears, apples), musky hops and a potpourri of warm spices.

Avec Les Bons Voeux is everything that I'd hoped it would be. It falls a half-step short of my favorite saisons, but it's still an exceptional Belgian ale. Perhaps I'll change my mind once I'm closer to the bottom of the bottle than the top. One of my first impressions is of alcohol (since it isn't often noticeable in a beer of this style). An ABV of 6.5-7.0% is easy to bury; 9.5%... not so much.

Bitter effortlessly supercedes both sweet and tangy. In fact, the beer is barely sweet at all. I can appreciate a honey-like flavor, without the honey-like sweetness. This Brasserie Dupont offering seems to be built around hops and spices. Each mouthful is a dizzying blast of bitter grass, lemon zest, white pepper, ground clove and coriander. There's also a delightful undertow of banana and bubblegum. Like I said... complex in the extreme.

I'm leaning toward awarding flavor perfection. The only thing that's holding me back is the alcohol. If the brewery would knock a few percentage points off the ABV, it would be an easy call. This is a tremendously drinkable, tremendously quenching beer because of its dry, crisp nature. Drink quickly at your own risk, however. Since I don't plan to drive my desk chair anywhere in the next several hours, I'll be fine.

There's no quibbling on the mouthfeel... it's simply stunning! Only the Belgian masters could create a beer that's so ethereally light, yet so creamy smooth and so expansive. Each mouthful blossoms in the mouth as if the laws of physics no longer apply. I find myself taking sips just to appreciate what happens tactilely.

Avec les Bons Voeux de la Brasserie Dupont, the beer's full name, translates as 'with the best wishes of the Brewery Dupont'. Thanks Brasserie Dupont. And thank you for this incredibly delicious, world-class saison. It may not be the best I've ever had (Fantome Saison), but it's close. Really, really close.

Taste explodes in the mouth with deeply candied and preserved fruits -- the aformentioned orange and papaya, gritty brown pears, rotting bananas, and glorious, glorious golden malt. Just unbelieveably delicious constantly evolving as the flavors, many as they are, develop and blossom on the palate. As it gets warm, these sensations only increase.

Mouthfeel is wonderful, pillow soft, keeping the dense liquid from ever becoming too cloying. There is a delightful breeziness here.

Drinkability is very good, although as I near the end of the glass, I consider that one, and maybe two, would be an appropriate sample.

All in all, a fantastic brew fresh (and I imagine a little age on a few bottles would be delightful as well). -- a saison on steroids, an imperial saison, whatever you want to catagorize it as, I call it only one thing: Delicious.

Poured into a Chimay chalice from a 750 mil corked bottle. I notice the cork is labeled 2013 so I am a little worried it may be past it's prime even though it is a 9.5% saison.

Appearance - Golden color which to me is what I associate with a saison. Inviting with what I would describe as lively carbonation.

Smell - I don't know how to describe it, but it is definitely a Belgian beer smell. Not the most inviting taste. I can't associate to the smell of a food, herb etc.

Taste - For me the first taste was wow, an assault on my taste of smell that was possibly too much. A few sips into it and I am really enjoying this beer. I like a good saison, but the taste of saisons covers a large range and this is in the range I like.

Mouthfeel - Highly carbonated which I believe is standard for the style and what I would describe as light to medium feel.
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Overall - This is a great beer, I liken it to an amped up version of Saison Dupont and I will definitely seek it out again.

375mL, corked n' caged, purchased in Belgium. Best before January 2016.

Pours a glowing, cloudy orange with a nice, billowing head. Doesn't retain quite like I'd expect, though the lacing is nice.

The aroma is pungent and funky, with a sturdy hop presence.

Bitter, with a dry, slightly Bretty bite to it. Hop flavor is there too, in the form of mellow citrus and leafy bitterness. Really rindy and earthy. Hay and grain flavors come through a bit. Alcohol is present too, but about right for a 9.5% ABV brew. Mouthfeel is huge, fluffy and creamy. Great beer.

It is my humble opinion that this is one of the best Saisons available. If you see this beer, buy it. Lots of it.

Taste is rich caramel and molasses. Hints of vanilla. Oaky with sherry notes. Lots o' alcohol as it finishes. Very dry finish, dires out quick from all the richly sweet flavors up front. In the finish, one taste comes out again and again: Juniper berries. Not sure if they're used but I couldn't get them out of my head. Mouth is dry and full bodied. This beer's a treat. I want more and I want more to age for a couple years.

750ml 2002 Vintage-
Poured a light gold with heavy carbonation and a huge, whipped egg-white head. Took some time to enjoy watching the head slowly rise higher and higher as the bubbles danced furiously underneath. Garden nose jazzed up with some spices and just a hint of hops. Not sour as I expected, instead a mellow, rich yeasty flavour especially present in the finish. Mouthfeel was moderately smooth with some definite warming. Very satisfying and relaxing. Would pair well with a light reading and log fire.

Found this by surprise at BevMo in Anaheim, CA in November, 2006. $10.99 I think. Vintage 2006. A yellow label (different from the existing avatar) with an etching-like drawing of a stone-arched cellar full of hundreds of beer barrels. A large Roman Numeral III at the top, above the beer and brewery name. Not sure what that means.

Pours a magnificent golden with the most beautiful white head that sticks around through the whole session. It doesn't have lace on the side, it has cream. Amazingly thick.

Aroma is much like the regular Saison DuPont (which I love), but more intense and rich. Organic funk, hay, a little lemon and great wet mown grass notes. Flavor is, like the aroma, very reminsicent of the normal saison, but more. As they say in "Spinal Tap", it goes to 11. They label uses the word "velvety", and I think it's very appropriate.

I knocked off a bit for mouthfeel and drinkability because it has an alcohol sharpness at the end of the swallow that seems to increase as the glass empties. Maybe some age would knock that down a bit, but I'll tell you, even so, this one is a special beer.

750 ml bottle into tulip glass, bottled 4/30/2012. Pours fairly hazy and cloudy golden amber color with a 3 finger foamy and rocky white head with incredible retention, that reduces to a nice cap that lasts. Thick foamy lacing clings around the glass, with plenty of streaming carbonation retaining the head. Amazing appearance. Aromas of big lemon zest, apple, pear, pepper, clove, grape, herbal, floral, grass, bread, light funk, and floral/yeast earthiness. Incredible aromas with great balance and complexity of fruity/spicy yeast ester notes with a light malt balance; and good strength. Taste of big lemon zest, apple, pear, pepper, clove, herbal, floral, grass, light funk, bread, and floral/yeast earthiness. Good amount of earthy spiciness on the finish; with lingering notes of light fruits, pepper, clove, herbal, floral, grass, light funk, bread, and floral/yeast earthiness on the finish for a while. Incredible complexity and balance of fruity/spicy esters with a light malt balance; and zero cloying flavors after the finish. High carbonation and medium bodied; with a very crisp, dry, and prickly mouthfeel that is great. Alcohol is very well hidden for 9.5% with only a slight warming noticed after the finish. Overall this is a world class saison! Incredible balance and complexity of fruity/spicy esters with light malt balance; and extremely crisp to drink for the alcohol level. Absolutely insane.

Appearance - Nothing to complain about at all. Hard to find fault with a beer thats pure gold, and has a billowing white head that is a work of art. Yeast floats around like leaves in the wind and settles to the bottom of the glass.

Taste & Mouthfeel - Tangy with a magnificent honey sweetness, but just a touch enough to complement the sourness. Lemon, pepper, and clove make up the body, and give it a little bit of a hefe-weizen touch. Mouthfeel is very dry and crisp with a very well hidden alcohol for 9.5%. I'm sipping it, but I could drink it so much quicker as it feels lighter than it really is.

Drinkability - A fine saison, and a damn fine one at that. I think I would go as far as to say that Brasserie Dupont has this whole saison thing down.

I had a few of these on tap at My Place in Newtown, Ct.
Nice , gold, slightly cloudy appearance. Nice head to start, but dropped pretty quickly to a small collar.
Smells like clean citrus,yeast, malt and..hay?
Flavor was great ! ...really good balance of sweet , malt, slight fruit, with a medium mouthfeel...just right... then a slightly bitter finish. Just got better as the temperature increased; amazingly good ! This is the best Saison I've had.
Very drinkable...but the ABV is pretty high.
I also tried this one from the 750 bottle...very nice , but missing most of the sweetness, with more alcohol taste coming through.
I would definitely buy another bottle, but can't wait to have it on tap again.

Update 2/10/06....just had this again on tap...this is an amazing brew!!...actually wish it was lower in ABV so I could have a few
more. Avec Les Bon... DOH !!

Smell begins with orange, lemon, peach, coriander, shortbread, oxidization, and a bit of grassy hops, and gradually becomes richer and sweeter over the course of an hour. Orange turns to marmalade, and additional notes of beeswax and honey, agave, pineapple and sweet tobacco come out. Sensational.

Begins round and fruity, beeswaxy, medium dry, grassy, slightly tart, very well balanced with hop and mineral bitterness. Exceedingly long finish, with deep dry oxidization and mineral bitterness coming to the forefront, and some alcohol emerging. Fruit and clean grassy hops throughout. Complex but sharply defined. Utterly balanced and tasty.

Smooth mouthfeel, very tiny bubbles. Drinkability is limited only by the alcohol; this is very drinkable and refreshing.

A: Pours a brilliantly clear golden color with three fingers of long lasting, fluffy head. Amazing retention and lacing. Perfect.

S: Musty funk mixing with a nice citrus quality to produce a very refreshing, yet complex aroma. Spices eventually come in after the intense funk and citrus to add even more complexity. Nutmeg and peppercorn are most prominent for spices reminding me of a nice Belgian Quad.

T: Spices take center stage here, again reminiscent of a Quad. Nutmeg and peppercorn are upfront, now with some clove i didn't detect in the aroma. A nice citrus aspect comes in after that, finishing with a musty funk.

M: Medium thickness with very high carbonation. Great for the style.

O: Very, very impressive. Such a complex beer with so much going on, but in a fairly easy to drink beer. I could use a touch more of the citrus I originally got in the aroma, but I'm splitting hairs.

Friend brought this over as a surprise, because it's his dad's favorite beer and he knew I liked beer.

A- Beautiful, fine, creamy white head. Great retention even though the pour wasn't the most aggressive. Perfect mix of yellow and gold. Some dirty brown floaties. Not sure what they are.
They don't bother me but the beer would probably look a lot better without.

S- Right away i thought of a less hoppy Dominus Vobiscum Lupulus. It's yeastier though.

T- Good. Delicious saison with a belgian strong blonde alcohol profile. Not that hoppy but you definitely notice it.
Now i know I'm a little picky, but i wish every beer of this type wouldbe at least as good as this.
This or that could be changed to please me more but overall, this is pretty damn close to perfect.

M- Crisp, smooth, light but full. I'd like it a little foamier but really, this is just right.

D- Terrific. Super tasty. Perfect amount of complexity meaning it's interesting but oh so simple to drink. Goes great with food or alone.

I want this available 24/7. This is the type of stuff which makes me want to be rich... So i can drink it all the time.

Almost all 4.5 on the ratings because its close to perfect. The 0.5 that's missing is only me wanting a few tweaks due to personal preference.

Served in a Nonic pint glass. Glass of cold water on the side to sip from periodically. The 2009 bottling.

Appearance: The beer pours out a slightly hazy honey gold color with a 2" thick creamy, frothy white head which leaves rings and patches of lacing clinging to the glass. Later on during the beer sipping continues to leave patches of foam sticking to the glass. Even to the end of the beer there is a layer of foam on the liquid and patches, speckles and legs of lacing rings and speckles and legs of foam and lacing on the sides of the glass

Smell: The aroma invades the room even as the bottle is opened. It has a yeasty, grassy, slightly sharp and spicy (coriander and pepper) character. There is also some citrus, pale malt and slightly earthy character here.

Taste: The several flavors come and go on this one. There is fruitiness, with hints of apple and lemon zest (and maybe even a touch of orange zest) and some light honeyed sweetness. There is spiciness with some elements like coriander and pepper. In the background there is pale malt and some grassy traces. While there is a touch of alcohol it is not easy to detect.

Mouthfeel: The mouth feel on this one is light bodied and very smooth with excellent prickly carbonation. The medium length finish starts in the fruity sweetness and ends in a crisp dry tart bitterness.

Drinkability: This beer is a "poster child" for drinkability. It is a wonderful beer with incredible complexity and subtlety. There are so many flavors bouncing in and out of this one and the sweetness and the tartness blend and play and dance around and around in a way that almost leaves the head spinning. Oh wait... Maybe that's the high ABV that sneaks up on you. A dangerously drinkable beer in that it would be very easy to consume too much of this one. However, I'm also sure I'll be having more of this one, both to finish off this bottle and to drink again in the future.

This beer is served in a tulip and has a murky golden body and a whisp of a head of white which settles to a thin lacing on the surface. The tulip conjures up a plethora of smells to create a powerful nose. I first sense acidic fruit, still sweet but quite sharp. Orange, lemon, cherry. Next I detect damp funk. Not as acrid as a horseblanket (a misused term by many. Go visit a stable, and then make the comparison) but still just brooding with wild yeast, like decomposing vegetetation. Finally, a bit of sweet esters, the fruit surges again, then an outright bubblegum sweetness, then a spiciness, then all these things over and over. This is a wonderfully alive in its flavors. They undulate like waves, and conclude in a wonderful balance. The huge alcohol in this is hidden like buried treasure. Drinkability and Mouthfeel are superb, as they complement one another. This beer is a treat, and on-tap it's simply an experience all its own.

On-tap at Lucky Baldwin's in Pasadena, 7/20/05 at their Christmas Beers & Interesting Winter Warmers in July Fesitval.

Appearance: Beer pours a glowing orange with a light cloudiness and a frothy, white, stiff head. The lacing on the side of the glass is very sticky and open. Excellent head retention on this beauty.

Smell: Remarkably sweet and fruity in the nose. The maltiness is rich but competes to be noticed among the strong fruity esters and white fruit flesh scents (that ominous apple/pear scent in many Belgian beers). Although the scent is there in many Belgians, this one is over the top in strength. Very nice.

Taste: This beer is awsome in complexity and variety of flavors. It is not a one-trick-pony for sure. The malt flavor jumps up first at the front of the beer. It then genlty glides to a set of fruity and phenolic flavors but without any kind of harsh transition. The fruits are vrey citrusy (lime, orange) and crisp and sweet (apple, pear, canteloupe). That is another great thing about this beer, the flavors are not contradictary but rather complimentary. No flavor is harsh but they are mostly bold and well matched flavors. So after the malt gives way to a fruity character, the flavor continues to develop with a whole spice rack full of spicy flavors. There is white pepper, sage, and corriander. I like the spicness. Nice but not overdone. The ending of this beer returns to its malty roots with a strong bready maltiness. That breadiness is also somewhat like a batter on tempura in that it is rich and sticky while still being light. Final flavors that I notice are a light hop bitterness at the end that is still fruit with its bitterness, some candy sugar sweetness, and a straw flavor.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied and chewy yet it still has a refreshing wateryness to it (in a good way). It's sticky yet still well carbonated and spritzy with a nice drying quality at the end.

Drinkability: All around an excellent beer. The flavors work well together and are well matched. It's smooth and complex and what a beer should do. Well done. It is just lovely on-tap.

First beer of the new year! and with best wishes!
An appropriate new year beer as it is quite champagney in some ways. Be careful with that pour because it will overflow on you. Big, impressive white head, happy funky farmhouse fragrances, some honey in the flavor to go along with big Belgian yeast flavors.
A dangerous 9.5% alcohol given the flavors. I wouldn't have known except for the info on the bottle and the quick warming in my belly.
I hope everyone's new year is as enjoyable as this beer!

Pours a very strong straw color, almost a light orange, with a 4 finger head that falls very slowly. The nose is just divine. Lots of lemony citrusyness, a light tart character and a blast of spicey and a very light barnyard character. I like it a lot. The flavor is really good. Orangey lemon citrus flavors hit, but they are creamy as well. A nice blast of spiceyness from the yeasties really comes through as well. There is a slight tartness that stays on the tongue on the finish. I really like it. Very clean and refreshing...crisp as well. There is also a slight drying quality here as well. No hint at all of the alcohol. 9.5% has to be a lie. The feel is moderate to thick with a moderate carbonation. Very refreshing for a big brew. Drinkability could not be better. I'm finding this beer is disappearing rather quickly from my glass. No alcohol presence. Very good flavor and nose. All around solid beer.

Taste is amazing. This is my favorite saison, and it's a well-deserved title due to the mix of sweet, funky, spicy, and fruity. Barnyard funk mixes with sweet malt, yeast esters, and sweet fruit. So deep and perfect. The pinnacle of barnyard flavor.

Mouthfeel is amazing. Obviously a strong beer like this needs to have some weight, but this has a dense but so smooth body with great carb that makes it seem light and uplifting. Excellent beer that is a pleasure to drink for a seasoned brett vet, but could be a tad overwhelming for the non-initiated.

Sampled from a 750, though the lable was different than the one pictured above. A hazy golden amber colored brew topped by a dollop of magnificent pure white head that laces beautifully. Intriguing aromas of fresh cut grass, musty hay and barnyard, lemon/lime, spicy yeast and a touch of fruity hops. Superb and complex flavors of contrasting sweet and sour. Lots of green grass, lemon, a variety of spice including coriander, pepper, ginger, orange peel, and clove. Fruitry notes of tart apple, pear, and faint banana pull me in further. Deep and complex. Refreshing and satisfying. I wish I had a bottle to myself. Thanks to Bruno for sharing this rare treat!

Pours a deep honey color, moderate that dissipates quickly. Aroma is classic for the style - loam, pale malt, peppercorn and Belgian yeast. Flavor is much of the same, with some added layers of orange peel / lemon juice, and good bit of spicey phenol on the backend. I felt the flavors blended very well, it has a classical Belgian profile with some nice punches of flavor without being too heavy or dragged down by the herb / spice notes at the end. Certainly makes a tad better for winter time indulgence.

Definitely new to the beer advocate and therefore beer geek scene, therefore feel free to disregard this "amateur" review. This was the best beer I had at Toronado SF. Almost brought a tear to my eye. Taste and mouthfeel are definitely strongpoints. This is not one to miss if it comes your way.